Pantone Colour of the Year 2016

Pantone picked its colour(s) of the year and we have to say, we’re a little bored.

This year Pantone chose not one, but two colours as its colour of the year. Or, to be accurate, they chose the blending of Serenity (a pale, periwinkle blue) and Rose Quartz (soft pink). Baby pink and pastel blue, Pantone? To us this seems about as traditional as you can get. And the colours themselves? Well they seem a little old fashioned.

According to Pantone’s website, they chose the colours to reflect society’s desire for comfort and security in a scary world of stress and anxiety. The second reason for choosing two colours was to reflect society’s growing acceptance with gender fluidity—the blurring lines between male and female being reflected in the blurring of pink and blue. But picking the two most traditional baby boy (blue) and baby girl (pink) colours seems antiquated.

Sure, we get the gender fluidity part, and love that society is breaking down gender norms. Perfume, for its part, is becoming less about whether a scent is marketed to men or women and more about what notes a person identifies with. Are you a man who love florals? Great! As a women do you dig cologne? We love it! But for us, the Pantone colours chosen don’t seem to reflect where we’re at and where we’d like to go. Despite choosing two colours (instead of one) for the first time, the picks don’t seem groundbreaking or exciting at all.

Even if we don’t love the colours, we do love perfume. We chose a couple perfume picks that match in hue—if not in spirit.

Rose Quartz

The soft, pretty pink of Rose Quartz obviously suggests a fragrance just as pretty and pink. Balenciaga L’eau Rose is a femme version of the brand’s signature scent. Blackberry, violet, rose, cedar and musk manage to make something modern of this sweet floral blend. Or perhaps you’d like to dabble in citrus? The latest from the Chanel Chance line—Eau Vive— is a pink-orange concoction that features blood orange, grapefruit, violet and vetiver for a livelier take on this pretty-in-pink hue.
Balenciaga L’eau Rose, $110 (50 ml), www.balenciaga.com
Chanel Chance Eau Vive, $117 (100 ml), www.thebay.com 

Serenity

Pantone says that “Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times”. Our blue picks might match the pick in colour, but not in spirit. Thierry Mugler Angel is a gourmand for the ages—vanilla, chocolate and caramel mingle with red fruits, musks and white florals for a bold, weighty scent. Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream is perhaps a bit more calming. Coconut, blackberry, litchi, pear, jasmine and musk make for a soft scent—but one that feels decidedly younger then Serenity the colour.
Thierry Mugler Angel, $138 (50 ml), www.sephora.com
Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream, $90 (50 ml), www.thebay.com